Abstract The Colorado Alphaherpesvirus Latency Society (CALS) was established in 2011 to provide a venue for open exchange of unpublished data from leading clinical and research scientists, with the goal of eliminating disease in the elderly caused by alphaherpesvirus reactivation. The 2-day CALS meeting format features 30 concise presentations, each followed by extended discussions. A significant innovation that increases the impact of CALS is a plenary presentation by a world- class neuroscientist not involved in virology, whose talk provides unique perspectives that often initiate new areas of study. The 21-member CALS planning committee (all non-paid, highly productive and established researchers) participates in selection of plenary speakers and poster presentations, and guides the Society in all major decisions. CALS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt educational organization. The annual symposium does not charge a registration fee and has been financed in part through charitable contributions from corporate sponsors and an R13 conference support award from the NIH. The requested funds will maintain the high caliber of the meeting, which includes student/postdoctoral fellow mentorship and education through in-depth, one-on-one discussions with leaders in the field along with written critiques of their project, and an open forum wherein individuals in academia, industry and government positions address career questions. New to CALS symposia is a session dedicated to mechanics and philosophy of grant writing (F31, F32 and R01 applications) for students/postdoctoral fellows/early-stage investigators by a volunteer team of established investigators with extensive NIH study section experience. CALS is also aware of underrepresented minorities in science and has established two new collaborations to draw this important group into the field through early identification and mentorship. The recognized success of past CALS symposia has made this meeting the premier venue for highly focused discussions of key issues by world experts addressing all aspects of disease in the elderly caused by reactivation of latent alphaherpesviruses, along with the efficient, productive training of future investigators.